ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 573 



operation of trap nests, looked at from the standpoint of the bird. There are 

 always a few which have to be taught to use the trap nest. The third year 

 seemed to furnish a contradiction to the first 2 years, though this may be 

 accounted for by the behavior of certain cross-bred birds in respect to broodi- 

 ness. 



It is stated that there will also remain some unrecorded egg production be- 

 cause of laying on the floor of the house, laying in broody coops, and dropping 

 eggs whole on the roosts. 



A brief review is given of a portion of the more technical scientific work 

 with poultry already noted from other sources (E. S. R., 24, p. 675; 25, p. 77). 



Live stock in Argentina {An. Soc. Rural Argentina, 1910, Agr. and Live 

 Stock, pp. 177, pi. 1, figs. 255). — This contains an account of the meat trade, 

 live-stock exhibitions, and statistics of the live-stock trade in Argentina. 



The price of animals and animal products in 1910 and the first half of 

 1911 in 22 cities and markets in Switzerland (2Jitt. Bern. Statis. Bur., 1911, 

 No. 2, pp. 101). — This contains statistical tables and a brief account of the 

 meat industry in Switzerland. 



Text-book of animal breeding, G. Puscri (Lehrbuch der AUgemeinen Tier- 

 zucht. Stuttgart, 1911, 2. ed., rev. and enl., pp. XV+Jf80. figs. 219).— In this 

 new edition (E. S. R., 16. p. 586) sections treating on the following topics have 

 been added : The mind of animals, unnatural sexual instinct, artificial impreg- 

 nation, Mendelian laws, inheritance of acquired characters, and the influence of 

 care and feed upon the mature form of the animal. 



On the relation of the mechanism of the hind and fore limbs of cattle 

 to the differences of the low and highland breeds, H. Behm (Untersuchiingen 

 iiber den Mecfianismus der Hinter- und V order extremitdt des Rindes in seiner 

 Verschiedenheit bci Tieflands- und Eoliensclildgen. Inaug. Diss., Univ. Bern, 

 1911, pp. 101, pis. 4)- — From an anatomical study of the vertebral column and 

 its correlations, the author concludes that the sloping crupper of the lowland 

 breeds of cattle is caused by the mechanical effect of feeding on level ground, 

 whereas pasturing on sloping ground tends to raise the posterior extremity of 

 the coccyx bone. The coccyx in calves of both breeds is nearly horizontal. 

 Measurements which were made on different cattle are given, and a 

 bibliography is appended. 



The anatomy and histology of the psalterium in ruminants, E. Schwaez 

 (Zur Anatomic und Histologie des Psalters der Wiederkduer. Inaug. Diss., 

 Vniv. Bern, 1910, pp. IfS, figs. 7). — ^As a result of his studies the author con- 

 cludes that resorption as well as the mechanical preparation of the food takes 

 place in the psalterium. 



On the occurrence, ancestry, and origin of rumpless fowls, G. Libon 

 (Ansichten iihcr das Vorkommen, die Abstammung und Entstehung des schwanz- 

 losen Haushuhnes. Inaug. Diss., Univ. Bern, 1911, pp. 53, pis. .'/). — ^Anatomical 

 and embryological studies showed that this pathological character is due to 

 the atrophy of the uropygium and caudal vertebrae. Though the rudiments of 

 the caudal vertebrse can be seen in the young embryo, they disappear between 

 the ninth and tenth day of incubation. 



A bibliography is appended. 



A case of yolk formation not connected with the production of ova, O. 

 Riddle (BtoL Bid. Mar. Biol. Lab. Woods Hole, 22 (1912), No. 2, pp. 107- 

 111). — An account of the formation of true yolk in spaces within the connective 

 tissues which lie externally to the follicular membrane of capsules which had 

 previously liberated ova. This peculiar yolk formation was found in the case 

 of 6 or 8 ovaries of full-grown hens. 



